Bound by Fate
by KHwhitelion
Summary: “It clearly states here that, in the case of Orochimaru’s death, his closest living relative is to take his place as ruler of Otogakure. And, seeing as to how your mother died when you were born, his closest living relative is you, Sakura-sama.”


Sakura lay on her bed, staring blankly at the vast ceiling above her. It was late-perhaps a few hours past midnight-and though the night was a calm one, Sakura's mind was anything but. So much had occurred over the last few that she hardly knew what to make of it all. The chunin exams, the attack on Konoha, the death of Sandaime….it was almost too much for the girl to handle. Sure, everyone in the village was hit hard by what happened, and some of the villagers were still in mourning for the third hokage, but no one could possibly understand the way _she _had been affected. For Sakura, it felt like her past life and her current one had been forcibly meshed together-raging war with each other-reminding her even further of the mission assigned to her years ago. One that now, though not yet fulfilled, she wasn't even sure she _wanted _to complete. Then again, Sakura hadn't been sure of anything for a long time.

A slight breeze danced across her cheek, which was odd-she was certain her bedroom window had been shut. A feeling of panic suddenly gripping her, Sakura sprang from her bed and ran to the window...

….She was surprised, however, to see a silver-haired man with glasses perched on her sill, perfectly balanced despite its narrow width.

"Kabuto?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow, "what-what are you doing here?"

"Hello Sakura-sama," he said, bowing slightly as he stared at the girl before him, "mind if I come in?"

She nodded, struck suddenly by his addressing her as 'Sakura-sama,' and stood aside, a different feeling creeping through her chest. The only reason he'd ever call her _that_, would be if his visit had to do with….

"Kabuto," she started, keeping a firm head, not daring to let what was racing through her mind display in her voice, "I told you a long time ago to stop calling me 'sama.'"

He smirked. "'Kabuto' huh? What happened to 'nii-san?' Or have I suddenly gotten too old to be your big brother?"

Sakura blushed as her eyes narrowed towards the man who had looked after her when she was young. "Things are different now, Kabu…._nii-san_, besides, we haven't been alone together like this for….well….a long time." She crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one foot, as girls her age often did. "And if we're so close, then why do you always insist on calling me 'Sakura-_sama_?'"

The same smirk still on his face, Kabuto walked towards her. "Just trying it out."

"Well don't." she huffed, glaring at him. "There's no need for that."

"Actually, Sakura-sama," he corrected, ignoring her protest, "there _is_." Saying no more, he reached up behind his head, pulling what appeared to be a document of some sort from a canister on his back-one that Sakura had failed to notice earlier.

"You see," Kabuto went on, unrolling the paper in his hands, "the reason I'm here, I'm afraid, is not a very pleasant one."

"What do you mean?" she questioned, slightly embarrassed but nevertheless curious, "and what _is _that you're holding?"

Kabuto sighed, and to Sakura's shock, he bowed. "I truly am sorry, Sakura-sama, to inform you of this so late in the evening, but seeing the condition your father was in, I'm afraid I had very little choice."

Sakura froze, and her heart skipped a beat. "M-my father?" she stuttered, fear overtaking her heart.

He nodded. "Yes."

"W-w-why?" she managed shakily-knowing full well a message from her father _never _meant anything good.

A momentary look of shock washed over Kabuto's face before he sighed, raising his head and asking in bewilderment, "You mean no one told you? About what happened with Sandaime?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow, indicating she indeed had no idea what the man was saying.

"Mm, now that _is _a surprise," he murmured, more to himself than to Sakura. "I suppose _I'll _have to be the barer of bad news, then." He bowed once more. "I'm sorry Sakura-sama, but the fact remains that your father, lord Orochimaru, didn't quite escape unscathed from his battle with the Third Hokage. Quite the contrary."

Sakura's face fell, and her eyes widened-her heart, already set off by Kabuto's appearance, was now pounding in her chest. What, exactly, did he mean by '_quite the contrary_?'

Kabuto noticed her reaction, but, though it bothered him, continued with his message. "He isn't dead-if that's your concern….." he paused, pondering the best way to articulate the next part of his message. "….not yet anyway."

"N-not….yet?" Sakura echoed, each word feeling like lead as it passed through her lips. True, she may have no longer wished to see eye to eye with Orochimaru, but he was still her father-and, try as she might to deny it, she still cared about him. "N-nii-san….what….what do you mean by that?!" She suddenly cried, on, Kabuto realized with slight remorse, the verge of tears.

"Please nay-chan," he said, holding up his hands, "try not to make a fuss. If your foster parents find me here, we'll have an….unwanted situation on our hands."

Knowing what he was jesting towards, Sakura nodded, biting her lip.

Despite the grim situation, Kabuto smiled approvingly. "That's better. Now, please, let me finish-true, your father isn't dead, but he just as well might be. You see, Sakura; before Sandaime died, he managed to cast some sort of jutsu on Orochimaru-rendering him incapable of using his arms-and therefore from mastering anymore jutsu." He stopped then, and cast a look at Sakura, checking to see if she followed him so far. "As you know, your father isn't exactly, well…._young_, and needs to constantly transfer his soul into a new body if he's to keep himself alive. However, now that he's unable to do so..."

Kabuto shook his head, returning his attention to the document he held. "Sakura-sama." He stated, voice now stone serious, "If your father is unable to reign over Otogakure, _you _will have to return to take his place."

Sakura felt her heart stop, and her jaw fell. Did she hear him correctly? No….no, she couldn't have. "W-w-what? M-me? No….Kabuto, I'm not….I can't…."

"'Can't _what_? You're his _daughter_, Sakura! There's no one more capable of running the Sound village than you!"

"Kabuto! I'm just a genin!" She continued to protest, turning away, "even….even if I _did _return to Otogakure, I wouldn't have the strength to lead it! Or the experience!" She lowered her head, her hair flopping in front of her face. "No….father would be better off choosing someone else."

She felt a slight pressure below her bottom lip then, and looked up, staring into Kabuto's dark eyes as he tilted her chin, forcing her head upright. "That wasn't a suggestion, Sakura-sama." He informed her, his voice eerily low, "you really _don't _have a say in this matter."

Sakura glared at him, and he flinched, noticing that, for an instant, the genjutsu sealing her true form failed, and her golden snake-like eyes appeared in place of her green ones.

Taking it as a warning, Kabuto dropped her chin, holding up instead the large scroll he had been previously studying. "Have a look for yourself then." He cautioned- beckoning to the girl, realizing, thankfully, that her eyes once again bore their unnatural aqua-green coloring.

Sakura seemed reluctant at first, but eventually stalked over to him, her eyebrows lowering. "What _is _this?" She questioned, peering over his shoulder to better view the document.

"Your father's will." The silver-haired man answered simply, ignoring the sharp gasp coming from the girl in front of him, "I had a feeling you might not commit to the idea of ruling Sound country willingly, so I brought it as a means of assurance." He risked a glance towards Sakura, not at all surprised to see the look of blatant fear decorating her features-though, why, exactly, he couldn't say. "It clearly states here that, in the case of Orochimaru's death, his closest living relative is to take his place as ruler of Otogakure. And, seeing as to how your mother died when you were born, his closest living relative is _you_, Sakura-sama."

He then folded up the scroll, carefully placing it back in the container slung across his back, all the while watching Sakura, who at this point had been struck into silence. He smiled, a bit sympathetically. "So you see, nay-chan," he concluded, heading back towards the window, "you really _don't _have a choice." Though he was anxious to leave the danger of Konoha, Kabuto waited for a response from Sakura, needing her input in order to report it to Orochimaru. However, when she remained silent for over a minute or so, he took _that _as his answer, saying nothing more and hopping back onto the windowsill. "It was nice to see you again, even under these circumstances," he murmured, gazing at the girl whom he had once considered as a little sister. "To think, the next time we meet, you may be the new ruler of Sound."

He nodded then, as a means of goodbye, before turning on his heal and launching himself from the window. Sakura said nothing, but watched him go, never once taking her eyes from the place Kabuto had been. Her teeth clenched together, pain and a sense of foreboding now tugging at her heart. "Yeah…." She muttured, "To _think_."


End file.
